Optra is a Pinninfarina design

[Kevingoh]

Dear all Optra owners

 

Congrats on your good taste. I just read from somewhere that the Optra is a Pinninfarina design - no wonder it looked so good to me when i first set eyes on it without realising its design pedegree. Fyi, I am a design fan, I like designs by giugiaro, pinininfarina, phillippe starck and italian design in general.

 

By the way, I am eyeing an optra, probably booking for one during the Nov motorshow - hopefully, it comes with some goodies/freebies when booked during that time. Although i wold love an Audi A4(silver colour), I am settling for a silver optra instead becoz of the savings, and also, the optra looks like a pretty good buy. In case ure wondering, my present steed is a citroen xantia.

[Arah]

Go test drive the Optra its actually quite balance in looks and in performance.

[Julian]

Is ur Xantia 1.6 or 2.0? Automatic? color? yr of registeration?

[Tomasulu]

pinin scored a few hits working with ferrari but they have been laying nothing but stinking duds recently.

 

case in point, the hyundai matrix - nuff said. and to a lesser extend, the optra. ok optra is not ugly, but it is really dowdy and ho-hum... nobody should buy it because it's pereeeeety.

 

and did anyone catch a glimse of pinin's supposed first production car? that funny toy-car looking convertible in some horrid vomit pastel yellow. i saw eye sore.

 

i am definitely not impressed.

[Stary]

I have been driving the Optra for 6 months now....clocking almost 20K already

 

I can tell you that the car is pretty good value, but it does has its fair share of problems too. The first few gears are pretty sluggish, but once the torque kick in at around 75km/h, the car is smooth with very good handling. I often turn bended and round corners at 100km/h and I didn't feel the car oversteer or understeer or there is a need to brake. Steering is also pretty responsive. The feeling of turning a rounded corner at 100-110km/h without braking or over/understeering was wonderful.

 

The car is also pretty quiet, and when it does make noise, it makes a low pitch rumble rather than a high pitch whine. I noticed that a 50wt engine oil makes the engine more silent than a 40wt one.

 

Having said the above, optras do have its problem too. For me, it's a stiff accelerator at times. For some other people, it's loss of power. But I think every car has its fair share of problem, regardless it's an Optra or a Ferrari.

 

The after sales service level is also pretty good. However, I don't find their technicians competent. The only face saving grace is that they try hard to please. They send you birthday cards and they even send you mail saying they gurantee fast service (or money back) when you bring your car in for servicing. Basically american kind of service, but only to be let down by their competency level.

 

If need a point A to point B car with good handling at a good price, the Optra is not a bad car. But if you can afford say another 5K-6K more, the Ford Focus is also a wise choice.

[Vidz]

[/reply]I often turn bended and round corners at 100km/h and I didn't feel the car oversteer or understeer or there is a need to brake. Steering is also pretty responsive. The feeling of turning a rounded corner at 100-110km/h without braking or over/understeering was wonderful.

[/reply]

 

 

just make sure you have some good rubbers on the wheels...

[Optra]

Just came to know that Optra Engine is actually made in Australia. Sounds Cool. Article here http://motoring.asia1.com.sg/news/news20031001_001.html

[Kevingoh]

The problem of sluggishness can still be fixed with products available in the market place. To me, my fear is that the gear cannot be engaged, the car stalls, wont start and other horrors. Hope this has not happened to any optra owners.

[AmericanIdol]

Sigh 6 month and 20 K

 

Me just went for 3rd oil change and i am getting better milleage about 10- 11km/l, what is your millage ?

[Genie47]

I'm changing the transmission lube to synthetic one. Will see how this goes.

[Stary]

about 10.5 - 11km/l

 

Same like you bro.

[Cardinal]

Interesting.... so which part of the Optra is made in USA?

[Seansene]

The badge lah...

[Soya]

yeeouchhh! u not enuf death threats izit??

[Seansene]

True what! Unless they got the badge off the Thai flea markets

Edited October 28, 2004 by Seansene

[Cardinal]

Yup, agree with you, Pininfarina has excellent pedigree, and great designs, and are absolutely versatile, eg you'd never have known they'd have come with a design such as this.

[Soya]

u got the italian mafia, american street gangs, french mob & the lengkee interpol after u and u dare make such jokes??

 

it's been nice knowing u.........

[Soya]

if it's any consolation, guigiaro did the pony & excel.